Arunachal Pradesh signs MoU with Spice Board of India

Itanagar: To tap the state's agriculture potential, Arunachal Pradesh has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Spice Board of India to cultivate spices in the state. Horticulture secretary Suresh Kumar signed the MoU representing the state government on Sunday, while Spices Board member Dr Hatobin Mai was the signatory of the MoU in presence of the Board's chairman A Jayathilak, an official release said on Monday.

As per agreement, the state government would allot free space for the Board's office in its district horticulture offices in major spices growing areas for its development, besides facilitating land to the Board at three suitable locations for establishing model nurseries for large cardamom, it said.

The government would also allot 25 acres for setting up of a Centre of Excellence for large cardamom research, training centre, quality testing lab and demonstration plots having all infrastructure.

As per the MoU, the state would include spice development as a Flagship Programme, besides providing additional subsidy up to 50 percent of the cost of replanting and maintenance during gestation period as approved by the Board to the growers who take up plantation of large cardamom for area expansion, the release said adding, the government would also facilitate in convergence of MNREGA, TFC, CAMPA, BADP, MLALAD, NERCOMP and IWD schemes for development of large cardamom and other spices.

As per the agreement, the Board would promote formation of Spice Producers societies and prepare a pilot project on saffron and king chillies.

The Board would establish auction centres for large cardamom in Namsai, Kimin, the major assembling centres for large cardamom and would also arrange buyers-sellers meet at regular intervals to ensure better prices, it said.

The release further said that the Board would select spice extension trainees under HRD schemes of the Board for a maximum period of two years for extension works locally.